The blessed month of Zulhijjah

What's so great about the new year? Frankly, I no longer care about celebrating New Year. I don't see the point of celebrating the 'Christian' New Year anyway [it's 2006 A.D. anno domini which means 'in the year of Our Lord' - the Lord meaning Jesus Christ]. Sure, Muslims believe in Jesus as in Nabi Isa AS. But that's where it ends. He's not our Lord, he's one of our prophets. But some Muslims celebrate the New Year big time, wasting their time at Dataran Merdeka waiting for the clock to turn 12 just to yell Happy New Year!, sing Auld Lang Syne, watch fireworks, get drunk, grab anyone you can get hold off, kiss them etc. Now, I ask is that Islamic? Why can't we spend the night ushering the new year by reading the Holy Quran and make prayers of thanks and gratitude that we have passed another year and may God bless us in the new year. I should think we ought to 'celebrate' Maal Hijrah instead. Do Muslims of this age actually think that our time in the world will not pass unquestioned? There are four inevitable things: youth before old age; leisure before hardship; health before illness; and life before death. We will all be questioned on how we spend our youth, how well we utilise the time given to us. Did we spend it gaining ilmu and then teaching it to others [rather than hoarding it] or do we utilise it by loafing, wasting our time, celebrating New Year, Merdeka and whatever people these days deem worth celebrating even when they are not including attending stupid Karnival Sure Heboh or Akademi Fantasia concerts and gaining not a single iota of knowledge or benefit in the process? Be sure that God will question us. How sad we'll be in the afterlife when all we could show for our life in this world is our amazing ability to waste time, effort, energy & money. That kind of life seems so empty and wasted. Now I'm not saying everything the westerners do are bad. God knows, I have spent my fair share of time abroad, alhamdulillah. But I just wonder why we can't emulate the positive things the westerners do, like exploring the outerspace, being involved in charity& voluntary work, help to save the environment etc.

No, I see no reason for me to celebrate new year. After all, it's just another year to go through - need to work harder than ever, as if I haven't already. But then again, I'm sure I'm a minority in this thinking but I believe I'm allowed the liberty of these thoughts.

As my title reads, we are now in the last month of the Hijrah year, the blessed month of Zulhijjah, the first 10 days of which are the most honorable and the best days in the Hijrah calendar.

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"The ten days of Dhu'l Hijjah are the first ten days of the 12th Islamic calendar month called Dhu'lHijjah. These are the days when most of the pilgrims make a journey to Makkah and perform their tasks of Hajj. Just as they have a special chance to get extra reward, the ones who were not able to go to Hajj arealso given a special chance to get extra reward during these days."http://www.a2youth.com/islam/special/dhulhijjah.html

Ahmad and at-Tabarani record from Ibn 'Umar that theMessenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said,"There is no day more honorable in Allah 's sight and no acts more beloved therein to Allah than those in these ten days. So say tahlil (There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah: La ilaha illAllah), takbir (Allah is the greatest : Allahu akbar) and tahmid (All praise is due to Allah: alhumdulillah) a lot [on those days]." [Reported by Ahmad, 7/224; Ahmad Shakir stated it is saheeh]

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Signing off on one of the most honorable days in the Hijrah calendar.